Disney Princess Guide Article

The Origin and Meaning of the Disney Princess Names

In the beginning of the Grimm's Tale Schneewittchen, Snow White's mother pricks her finger with a sewing needle and three drops of her blood fall onto the snow which lay on the ebony windowsill. Oddly enough, this made her long for a daughter of a similar color scheme. While this reflects the arc of the story: (white)innocence, (red)maturity & love, and (black)death, her name particularly represents a season when the world metaphorically sleeps only to be inevitably awakened with the coming of spring.

_______________________________ Cinderella

Omitted from the Disney version of the fairytale, cinderella was actually the cruel nickname aliyopewa to her kwa her stepsisters for sitting at the dying cinders of the moto after her long days work. Cinderella's real name is never mentioned. Cinders have a number of symbolic meanings from being merely a chanzo of warmth and a hidden moto to represent rebirth in the story of the Firebird au Phoenix. In myth, the creature would die in the fiery blaze of its nest only to rise again reborn from the ashes signifying a rise to glory from the lowest of places.

Aurora ________________________________

Latin for "light" au "dawn", Aurora is her royal name aliyopewa kwa her parents. It may be stated in the film that this was "because she filled their lives with sunshine" but its also fitting for this princess since dawn is the time when the sleeping world awakes. It's no accident that she falls asleep at dusk and awakes upon sunrise. Incidentally one may recall her "hair of sunshine gold" but her "lips that shame the red red rose" are zaidi linked to her sekunde name.

Briar Rose ________________________________

Briar Rose, a pseudonymn aliyopewa kwa her fairy godmothers also has poetic meaning. The first word BRIAR, a mass of thorny plants obviously makes sense with the story's motif but a rose also has numerous conotations. Roses have represented love, beauty, virtue, femininity, and virginity hence why it is also a symbol of the Virgin Mary. But a briar rose is a thing of beauty surrounded kwa harsh thorny bramble -- much like Aurora herself in the ngome surrounded kwa the forest of thorns.

__________________________________ Ariel

Ariel's name probably has the most mysterious of origins but there are two possible sources that equally make sense. Song writers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (both of Jewish heritage) had a surprising amount of creative input in the story having named several of Ariel's sisters. This could leave reason to suspect they may have also suggested the name Ariel, Hebrew for "Lion of God". Lions are well known symbols of strength and courage.

The sekunde possibility which actually ties into the first is the connection to the word 'ARIA'. Hebrew for "lioness". However in Italian it means "air" and is a musical term for a solo vocal piece with a light instrumental accompaniment. This probably makes the most sense considering music, and not lions, is the most obvious if not significant factor in Ariel's story.

Belle ________________________________

The most straight mbele of names, Belle is literally French for "beauty". Granted this makes sense since Belle's character is meant be physically attractive. However beauty is not just restricted to our visual sense but can encompass all the senses and even that of our spirit. Intended to contrast the physical ugliness of the beast, Belle's purpose in the story is ultimately to transform the beast's soul to match the beauty of her own. She is everything the beast must aspire to be.

________________________________ Jasmine

Most people assume jimmy, hunitumia is merely a reference to the jimmy, hunitumia maua, ua and to a certain degree it is. jimmy, hunitumia is actually indigenous to the Middle East. Known as "yasmine" to the natives, the maua, ua is so pleasantly fragrant that the name translates to "gift from God" in Arabic. In the western world it can represent sensuality, elegance, and modesty -- a particular virtue Aladin au Ali Ababwa must obtain to win the moyo of the princess.

Pocahontas _________________________

Pocahontas is unique being that she is the only Disney Princess whom we know actually existed. Historically she is known kwa three separate names. Powhattan for "little mischief", Pocahontas was actually a nickname aliyopewa to her because of her precocious and playful nature. Her real name was Matoaka au "bright stream between the hills". This can easily be linked to her affinity for rivers in the film. Her third name Rebecca, which she adopted after being baptized, is Hebrew for "to bind au bring together" and this is exactly what she did for her people and the Jamestown settlers.

___________________________________ Mulan

The story of Mulan is not a fairytale but a legend potentially based on real events of a woman named Hua Mulan which literally translates to "flower wood orchid", au the magnolia. Magnolias are a symbol of perseverance and nobility. The film makes reference to this in the scene when Mulan and her father sit beneath the magnolia tree. Her father subtly parallels his daughter to a late magnolia [mulan] blossom and how it will one siku be the most beautiful of all.

Tiana ___________________________________

Potentially derived from the Greek word 'TIANI' meaning "princess", being a maarufu name among African-Americans it may be fitting that the first black Disney Princess was named Tiana. However this was not her first name choice. Originally her name was Maddy but was deemed too racially insensitive. This is odd since Maddy is short for Madeline derived from Magdeline. Mary Magdeline was a friend of Jesus and only disciple strong enough to witness his crucifixion and the first to witness his resurrection -- a woman who went on a long journey and acheived a great spiritual transformation.

_______________________________ Rapunzel

Also known as "rampion" au "bellflower", rapunzel is an edible plant. In the Grimm's Tale, it was specifically this plant that a poor man aliiba from a witch's garden to feed his pregnant wife. As punishment, the witch took the poor couple's daughter and raised her away in a tower without any doors au stairs. This plant is not only beautiful but is also noted for its ability to grow in very inhospitable soils. Rapunzel is very much like her namesake plant in that she too flourishes in beauty, kindness and curiosity despite being locked away in a cruel world. (she will also be the first Disney Princess who's main color is purple.)

But what about the Tempest for Ariel's name? People have said that The Little Mermaid is much like Shakespeare's The Tempest with an airy spirit named Ariel and storms and ships and the sea. I also think the association with air has to do with Ariel longing for a life of feeling and breathing air.

^^DisneyDusty. I know of the Shakespearean character. Just like Ariel his name was significant to the association with air but his name would not have been the 'origin' or meaning of hers so I didn't mention it. Also Ariel is the name of a Jewish demon with the power over all four of the elements: earth, air, fire, and water. All of which can be linked to Ariel with wanting to walk on land, wanting to breath air, her firey red hair, or being a mermaid.

my mom had a theory on Ariel's name and I agreed with it
So, you know how Disney is involved with youth Aids relief? Well, how they first got into child Aids relief is a little girl named Ariel who died of Aids when she was eight I think, and that was a little while before The Little Mermaid came out, so my mom thinks they named her Ariel as a tribute/memorial

Is taht why they called her Jasmine? Fascinating. I always thought they just named her that because her real name in the original story (Princess Badroulbadour)was too complicated for the American culture. Very cool list! =)

I like this article. I still don't get how any of the origins of the name "Ariel" connect with our mermaid. none of them make sense to her personality/role of the film. It seems like it's one of those names that was randomly picked from a jar of name tags instead of from careful research. It seems like the Disney crew had trouble picking a name for the little mermaid and were pressured from katzenburg to pick a name quick which led them to pick randomly pick "Ariel" at a the last minute. Tiana is a great name too, but I like Maddy better. (gets shot by a random black person).

I really love the name: Tiana, and I really never had listen that until the movie came out, I even didn't know it was a real name! :b but is a very elegant, pretty and curious name for me(: I also love the names: Melody, Giselle & Kiara but they are not official Disney princesses altough they are, so bad... :L

A very good article. Perhaps you should add that "Briar Rose" is the title of "Sleeping Beauty" in the German original version.

And concerning Ariel: Ariel is an air spirit in "The Tempest". In the original version of the Fairy Tale, the little mermaid becomes an air spirit, too, so perhaps that's the reason for the name. It's also notable that all the names of her sisters end with an "a", so she is set apart by her name from the very beginning.

Aurora is also the name of a Roman Goddess. "Aurora is seen as a lovely woman who flies across the sky announcing the arrival of the sun. Aurora is not one of the better-known goddesses. However, Shakespeare refers to her in his famous play Romeo and Juliet."

Great article! But actually, Aurora isn't the name of the princess in the Perrault Tale: The princess names her elder daughter Aurora, and her son Jour, wish means Day, because he "seemed even more beautiful then his sister" (sorry if my English isn't very good, I'm french...). And, sorry, I'm a bit of maniac, but in the Tales of Grimm, the Snow White Tale is called "Sneewittchen"... I know it's a technicality, but I read the Grimms Tales in German since my childhood, and I still read them with love...